People Walk Through And Under The Lava

If you live in Southern Utah, you need to experience the lava tubes. It’s part of being a local.

If you have only visited Zion National Park, you might as well be from Europe as from this area. Everyone visits Zion, but locals know about Snow Canyon and the lava tubes. Snow Canyon State Park is 12 miles from St. George and has many hiking trails including the tubes. 

Ancient volcanoes standing above the park spilled lava onto the sandy desert landscape. Lava tubes form as the flow cools on the surface and crusts over. The liquid rock underneath continues to flow and when slows and stops, sometimes it will empty out and leave a hollow tube. This is what you will find in Snow Canyon State Park, a field of lava rock with caves opening into these underground passages. 

Some of these lava tubes are very large and you can climb down in and come up in another location. Others are smaller and go below the surface before coming to an end. You will find many openings as you explore these unique geologic features. 

The trail to the lava tubes is considered moderate as it goes over the sandstone and through lose sand. It’s two and a half miles round trip and will take you a couple hours if you take some time to explore. It is not a hike you can take pets on and you will need a flashlight if you go into the tubes. Also, as always in Southern Utah, bring lots of water.